UMass Lowell to Break Ground on $40 Million Academic Building

WHAT: UMass Lowell will break ground on a new $40 million, 69,000-square-foot academic building on South Campus that will house three of the university’s most popular majors and provide more academic space to help accommodate a 30 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment over the last few years.

This event celebrates the second major building construction project at UMass Lowell; the new Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center is underway on North Campus. While existing South Campus buildings have undergone major renovations over the years, this is the first new building from the ground up since the 1970s. Known as the Health and Social Sciences Building, it will be home to three of the university’s most popular majors: criminal justice, nursing and psychology.

Among those scheduled to attend the groundbreaking are state Secretary of Education Paul Reville; Carole Cornelison, commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management; UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan; other UMass representatives; state and city elected officials and students, faculty and staff.

The new four-story building will include classrooms, simulated hospital rooms, social science research space, seminar/project rooms, conference space and faculty offices. Expected to open in 2013, the building will have the capacity to serve nearly 900 students and 140 faculty.

In addition to the new academic buildings, UMass Lowell plans to construct two parking garages, one each on North and South campuses, as well as a student residence hall on East Campus. All will help the university provide space to educate and house a rapidly growing student body. The new construction is the latest in UMass Lowell’s capital projects, which include renovations to the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (acquired in 2009), the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell (acquired in 2010) and University Crossing (acquired in 2011).

Funding for the new Health and Social Sciences Building was provided through the Commonwealth’s Higher Education Bond Bill, passed in 2008. The Division of Capital Asset Management, the state’s real estate and construction arm, is managing the project. The building was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates Inc., and Gilbane Building Co. is the general contractor.